It comes
by Kitten2
Summary: Harry has always had bad dreams, but his recent dreams give fear a whole new meaning. Bring on the Drats! Woot! Oh yes, this will eventually be MM HSS!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and other characters from the Potterverse do not belong to me.

Summary: Disturbing dreams have always been part of Harry's life, but the arrival of new dreams has brought him a whole new world of trouble.

Pairing: HP? I'll probably run a vote, I'm not very picky on whether or not this is slash or hetero, but I will not pair him with Hermione, I've already got plans for her, and, I have plans for Ginny as well.

PROLOGUE

Sunlight streamed brokenly through a canopy of leaves, highlighting the ground with dancing splashes of radiance. No birds sang in these trees and no small creatures made any sound. The smell of fear was strong in the woods and many of the animals shivered in the myriad of hiding spaces they had found. Fox and mice huddled together, their shining eyes staring, warily, into the quiet clearing.

A lone buck had his ears pricked upwards, listening, his sides trembling and white froth dripping from his sides and mouth. He was tired and he was afraid.

Sinuous forms raced through the dappled light, their multicolored forms flashing as each ray hit their bodies. Long, powerful, legs pushed them onwards, their muscles rippling under their scaled hides. Delicate nostrils quivered in anticipation; the smell of their quarry was stronger than ever. Their white eyes, unseeing and terrifying, were focused ahead of them as they closed in on their prey.

The buck tensed, his hindquarters gathering, and then leaped upwards in an attempt to escape his hunters. The stink of his own fear filled his nose as he miscalculated and ran into the very mouths he was trying to escape.

Ivory fangs glistened, savage cries of victory escaping from the mouths that housed them. They had succeeded in their hunt and, with one last shriek of victory, pulled the screaming buck down. The creatures tore into the hapless buck, eating their fill even as it twitched in its last throes of death and its eyes glazed over, never to see again.

The largest creature, face covered in blood and gore, lifted its head and stared straight into a pair of frightened emerald eyes before lunging forward to kill again.

Yelling in fear with sweat dripping from his body, Harry Potter sat up in bed, his eyes darting around the small dark room he had at his Aunt and Uncle's house. Seeing nothing there, he fell back, wiping his hand down his face before turning on his side to look at the clock. "Two in the morning, bloody hell." Twisting onto his back again, he winced then pulled his wand from beneath his shoulder. "I doubt I'll be getting to sleep again. Looks like I'll be catching up on the way to Hogwarts tomorrow."

Holding his wand up and staring at it in thought, he frowned then looked over at his desk. "I'll have to remember to ask Hermione what those were."


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own HP…. :Sighs: Wish I did though….

Author's note: I realized in the prologue that I forgot to make a break between the shifts in scenes, so I'll try to remember them from now on. Just let me know if I forget again! I'm pretty cool about people critiquing my work…been having it done for a long time. Also, if I make any misspellings or have any characters seem a little off; please point that out to me as well, this is my second Harry Potter fan fiction. The first one I wrote will be update about the same as this one, considering that it already has its first chapter out.

**Platform 9 ¾**

Going through the barrier to get to Hogwarts express was always an interesting experience and this one was no different from any other. Owls screeched in their cages, a few odd toads hopped around; their small owners chasing after them as fast as they could. Several cats wound their way through the sea of legs in an effort to get at those toads that weren't already scooped into worried hands.

Standing near the train with Hedwig perched on one shoulder, Harry watched for Ron's familiar copper hair. He had already loaded his trunk into an empty compartment and, after ensuring that it was secured, had come back out to wait for his friends. There were black smudges beneath his eyes, a visual testament to the lack of sleep he'd been suffering from. Yawning behind one hand, he scanned the crowd again then grinned, when he spotted his friend's russet mop. "Oi Ron!"

Grinning, the lanky redhead pushed his way through a group of small first years until he reached the smaller boy's side. "Hey Harry, you seen Hermione yet?"

Shaking his head, the dark haired teen searched the crowd of people again then frowned and looked at Hedwig. "Find Hermione please."

Ruffling her snowy feathers, Hedwig shifted her wings then launched off of his shoulder. Flapping leisurely, she circled upwards then drifted, her large eyes searching for the familiar aura of her master's friend. Spotting the familiar warm golden glow belonging to Hermione, she folded her wings closer to her body and dropped towards the girl before snapping them opening and landing on her shoulder.

Startled by the unexpected weight on her shoulder, Hermione jerked then winced when sharp claws dug into her clothing and skin for better purchase. "I'm sorry Hedwig, you surprised me." Reaching up with two fingers, she ticked the snowy feathers around Hedwig's face then smiled when the owl nipped them affectionately. "I guess Harry sent you to find me then?"

Hedwig hooted and turned her head around to where she knew her master was standing.

"Well, I guess I better get over there then. Go on back, I'll be there shortly."

Hooting again, Hedwig leapt off of her shoulder and silently made her way back to Harry's comforting presence.

"Thank you Hedwig." Harry stroked her chest feathers and smiled indulgently at her. "I suppose this means you want to stay with me instead of meeting me at the school then?"

Hedwig blinked at him, as if to say, 'you think?'

**The ride to Hogwarts**

Having gotten settled into their compartment and also buying some sweets off of the candy cart, the trio made themselves comfortable.

"So Harry, how was your summer?" Hermione folded her hands on top of the book she had placed in her lap the second she got seated.

"Yeah mate, how did those muggles treat you?"

"They were fine, I think the decided that if they ignored me I would go away." Harry sighed and leaned back against the window, his arms wrapping around his legs. "But I've been having some weird dreams…"

"Your scar's been hurting you again?"

He shook his head. "No Hermione, that's not what I mean about weird."

"Oh…I thought that you might be having more visions."

"Well…" Harry chewed on his bottom lip then looked up at his friends' curious faces. "I think that I have been having visions again."

"About Voldemort?" Hermione placed her book on the seat beside her and leaned forward, concern etched on her features.

"I wish, but no, they weren't about Voldemort." Unclasping his hands, Harry rubbed them quickly on his legs and straightened up. "I've been seeing something else altogether. Every night it's different but last night…that was the worst."

Ron snorted, and shook his head. "What could be worse than He-who-must-not-be-named?"

"That's the weird part; I don't know what they are. Every night they hunt and eat and whatever it is they hunt, I'm in its body until the moment it is about to die. It's like…those things are holding over on regular animals until they find me."

Frowning in confusion, Hermione shot a look at Ron, his look mirroring her own. "And you don't know what they are?"

"I was hoping you could tell me if you've ever heard of them."

"Well…" She chewed on her bottom lip then sighed. "Tell me what they look like, and I'll let you know. But if I don't know I'll look it up in the library…or ask Hagrid, he knows all of the dangerous creatures."

Taking a deep breath to prepare him for the images he'd be using in his head, Harry exhaled slowly then began describing what he'd seen. "They look like dragons that are the size of ponies. But they don't have wings and their bodies are very slender. The heads are slightly different as well. They're slimmer, resembling a horse more than any lizard I've ever seen. But their eyes…those white empty eyes. It's almost as though they can see straight into your soul and that they want that part of you more than any other. I've never seen something so disturbing before."

Inhaling quickly, Hermione grabbed his hand, causing him to look up at her so she could hold his emerald gaze. "Those sound like…but they can't be. I've read that they don't exist anymore. Hunted to extinction."

"Well it's obvious they still exist. But what are they?"

"I can't say; I need to check and make sure I'm right. I want to have all the facts before I tell you anything."

"But I thought you knew what they were?"

"I…"

Eyes shining with distress, Harry looked at both of his friend's white faces then slumped his shoulders in defeat. He knew that whatever those creatures were, they weren't something that he ever wanted to face in his lifetime. "Alright Hermione, I'll wait until you're sure of what they are."

Licking her dry lips, Hermione slowly relaxed her face still pale and her normal composure shaken more than it had ever been before. "I promise you Harry, I will tell you everything I can as soon as I've researched them some more."

"That's all I can ask for then."

With those final words, all three teens settled into a tense silence, their minds racing at the thought of what Harry had been seeing while he slept.

A/N: I'm sorry this chapter is so short, but I promise the next will be longer…I swear!


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Wyrsa mentioned in this chapter. I do however; own the creator of the creatures this chapter will be talking about.

Author's notes: I forgot, I was going to see who you people would like to see Harry eventually paired with in this story. So, give me reviews and an idea of who is best for him.

Chapter 2

_'…and so, after studying how to create these beasts, I have discovered that, unlike the fabled Wyrsa, they do not see your magic. Instead these creatures see into your very soul and essence. I will work further with the dominant pair in an attempt to see how they create their own social structure. I'm not sure how they will react once I merge both packs and worry that their mentality will change for the worse. _

_July 1, 1929_

_At last I have gotten the dominant pair to merge their pack with the smaller group of hybrids. My hope is that they will interbreed and that the inherent abilities of the hybrids will be passed on with the abilities of the original control group. With the magic eating abilities and the abilities to sense a creature's soul, they will become supreme hunters and, if my first session of training is also successful, excel at guarding property. _

_I just hope that the original training in the older pairs will fall through with each generation, making them more likely to serve than attack. _

_January 30, 1930 _

_The breeding attempts have been an astounding success! As the packs merged and bred together, their familial bonds somehow managed to strengthen their original abilities. Not only do they sense their prey by their souls, but, according to their color, they can also detect and devour varying degrees of magical spells. Unfortunately, one litter turned out wrong. The 'pups' were all a silvery color with gold tips on their tails. They showed no inclination to attack or listen to direction. Also, I have noted that they did not seem to sense any of the spells I had cast around them. It was almost as if they were 'blind' to all forms of magic. While they retained their parent's abilities to sense creatures by their spiritual force, I am disappointed to say that I will be putting them down in a week. I shall update my journal on that day. _

_February 6, 1930 _

_The new pups have shown an ability beyond my wildest imaginings! I was taking the first one to be put down and it spoke to me. Not like I would talk to another wizard, but in my mind using images. I have already started plans to breed this litter with another that had been born around the same time as themselves. Mixing the colorful hybrids with these mind speaking pups should make my experiment come to a close. My hopes are riding on the eventual litter of magical eating, soul sensing, psychic creatures. _

_But for now I must go, the oldest creatures are ready for their feeding, I can hear them shrieking from my lab. Perhaps I will try and breed that particular trait out of all further offspring that may come. _

_April 13, 1930 _

_I have been unable to sleep these past months and my dreams are more frightening than real life. These creatures have formed such an intense pack bond that I fear they will never be able to separate for their original purpose. _

_Of the original test group of 35, I am down to less than 20 creatures who have survived the breeding and experimental process. Out of those creatures, only 5 are from the original test groups I had started with. Two are the dominant pair I originally created and three are from the hybrid pack I merged with their own. They have proven to be completely unstable when kept in close proximity to each other and I have lost many helpers in our attempts to separate the remaining creatures. _

_Tonight I will be checking the status of those creatures expecting a litter of their own. During the time I spent separating them, I realized that the hybrids actually paired, willingly, with the silver creatures. It was almost as if they saw the silver creatures as more dominant than themselves and the oldest pair. _

_April 18, 1930 _

_All I can say is that the pups are magnificent. They retained the hybrids' striking colors while gaining a few touches of gold or silver along their backs and tails. Most interesting is that one of the female silver creatures gave birth to a single male pup. His coloring is incredible and glints as if from an inner light. More interesting is that his eyes are two different colors. One white and one black. I have already begun testing him to see what abilities he might have gained from his parents and was shocked to find that, not only could he sense souls, but he could sense the darkest of dark magic. Out of all of my creatures, he was the only one to be able to sense, and dodge, the unforgivable curses. I have decided, however, to keep him on my own property in the even that he might be needed for something important. We could ill afford having him killed by an owner that doesn't respect his abilities. _

_Stranger still, it seems as though he has doubled in size since his birth three days ago while the other pups have only grown to the bottom of his neck. _

_June 1, 1930 _

_I have finally decided to initiate contact with the young pup in an attempt to train him. Also, during this initiation, I will be thinking of a name for these creatures. I shall take notes during this process so I can later evaluate his reactions to human contact. _

_I have been sitting on one end of his enclosure for three hours now with no signs of interest whatsoever. He has avoided all offerings of food and, even now, paces up and down the opposite side of his enclosure. Ah, he moves towards me now. Perhaps this is a sign of friendship. Speaking of signs, I have decided that I will call them…Oh Drat…_

Harry frowned as he put the journal that Hermione had brought him, down on the table in front of him. "I don't get it, if he studied those things for so long, why didn't he name them sooner?"

"I would think it had to do with the level of research he was doing with them. He did work on them for several years before that last batch of pups." Hermione set her quill in her inkpot and looked up at her dark haired friend. "Besides, they were able to manipulate what he thought and dreamed about. He noted that several times in the journal, you saw that. If he had tried to name them any earlier then he would not have survived as long as he did while working with them."

"I get that but…how come he had the time to write Drat? If the creature was attacking him then why would he write down its name?"

"I don't think he meant to write down Drat, Harry." Picking up her schoolbag, Hermione stood and draped it over one shoulder. "I think he was in the middle of writing its real name down when it went after him. Besides, no one found these books until his cousins hadn't heard from him in several months."

"Oh yeah…and who are his cousins anyway?"

"Well…" She looked down at her friend, a pensive expression on her face. "I know this might not be what you want to hear…but his closest relatives were the Snapes."


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and I'm very sorry if there's spelling mistakes in here, I normally type too fast to check up. But I promise to beta it as best I can.

Author's Notes: I had an epiphany the other day…about cut and paste and how wonderful it is. Hence the fact that I will now be updating my stories properly! Yay! Hopefully FF.N won't be too angry about that, I just don't have the required programs to upload normally. Ah well though, onto the story!

Chapter Three

Silence was a wonderful thing and Severus Snape was convinced that nighttime was the only time he could enjoy any semblance of peace. His black robes swirled quietly around his body, only a faint rustling of cloth giving away his presence to anyone who had the ability to hear it. He enjoyed his nightly rounds, though no one would probably ever know that since no one could actually tell that he enjoyed anything in his life. There was something about walking in the darkened halls of the school that calmed him and made him feel completely relaxed; a feeling he took great pleasure in since there were no other times during the day that he could relax.

Not that there weren't other things that made him relax; just that dark silence made him comfortable in a way that no other pastime ever could. He did enjoy the occasional perusal of potions texts and he also found a lighter joy in a particularly well aged snifter of brandy. It just happened that his self enforced solitude was made bearable by stealthily moving through the darkened halls of the castle. This was also the only time of day that he didn't have to put up with Potter's presence. Sure, he had dealt with the boy once during his nighttime patrols, but no more than that one time. Frowning at that thought, he slipped down the darkened corridor leading towards his chambers. That boy was one person he would be glad to be rid of from his classes once and for all. With any luck, he wouldn't have to deal with him anymore after the school year ended. A brief smile curved the corners of his lips at that thought as he readied himself for bed.

The spiders were scared. In the many years since they inhabited the forbidden forest they had only been afraid of one creature and that was slain several years ago by the young wizard that had come into their nest uninvited. Despite the fact that they were some of they largest and most fearsome predators in the forest, they were scared and that fear echoed to the farthest reaches of the forest, causing the other creatures to shift restlessly as they, also, bunched closer together for safety. Never before had the forest been so quiet at night and the loss of sound made even the rustling of the trees seem eerie in the dim light of the moon.

Several unicorns snorted restlessly, their delicate nostrils flaring as the reek of an unknown predator drifted towards them. As magical creatures, they realized, somewhat dimly, that they were protected by many vile things in the world and they also realized, in the forefront of their minds, that they were even safe from this threat. There was no magical creature, short of the rare dragon(1), that would actually harm them for fear of retribution of the worst kind. Despite this fact, they were still nervous of the predator scent that grew stronger with each passing second.

Another nervous snort broke the silence not too far from edge of the forest where the Thestrals milled around, their clawed feet tearing up the ground beneath them. Their wings were half open, their flight muscles tensed for a speedy escape from the near silent hunters that were trying to sneak up on them. The odds were in their favor since they had the ability to take off into the relative safety of the skies, despite the fact that they knew they would eventually need to land and that was one thing that none of them wanted to think about. As a normal rule, no creature could, or would hunt them since they resembled nothing short of oddly shaped horses that had been starved for so long that their ribs and hips jutted prominently beneath their skin. Yet, in spite of the signs of being horribly neglected and abused, steel corded muscles moved sinuously beneath the blanket of ratty looking fur that covered their bodies. Also, they were normally a type of predator in their own right, killing what was necessary to keep their bodies in perfect working order and to supplement the regular feedings of grain and hay the groundskeeper gave them three times a week.

An enraged shriek echoed throughout the woods and the herd was startled when several non-magical creatures, rabbits, tore through their ranks as though the hounds of hell were right on their heels. Thirty-four pairs of ears turned towards the dark trees, twisting around to catch any signs that the rabbits' pursuers were forthcoming. Hearing the faint noise of many clawed feet racing in their direction, all of the Thestrals spun as one, their legs bunching powerfully as they raced away, their wings opening with loud snaps before they took off into the air.

Humming softly to himself, Hagrid poured himself a cup of tea, only to drop it as the sounds of the Thestrals take-off jarred his peace. Frowning, he whistled Fang to his side and left the warmth of his hut to see what had scared the large herd of predators away from their normal territory. Lantern held aloft, so as not to hinder his night-vision, he made his way into the forest with the large dog whining fearfully by his side.

He was worried that Grawp had decided to leave the area he'd claimed as his own in an attempt to play with the Thestrals while they were at their most alert. Not that Grawp could have hurt them, just that they could have inflicted serious damage on his brother to get him to leave them alone. He frowned again at the silence of the forest that he knew was normally alive with many nocturnal creatures. There was also the conspicuous absence of the normal crashing noises that told him his brother was nearby. Another bothersome sign of something being wrong was that Fang's whining had escalated into shrill cries of fear; a sound he'd only heard once before during the Tri-Wizard tournament when the dragons had been held captive in the forest. He was about to walk further when the whole forest lit up with a flood of sound as the creatures finally relaxed. Obviously they knew that whatever danger there had been had left and it was safe to resume their normal activities. Shrugging, he turned and left the forest; he still had a cup of tea waiting back in his hut.

Elsewhere the spiders were still scared and the nervous rattling of their chitin overpowered the sound of something eating an unfortunate creature not too far away from where their nest was located. They realized, quite thoroughly, how lucky they were to have survived the night and dreaded what the next one would bring.

Reference Mark 1: Dragons never seem to suffer from the swift retribution that normally follows the death of a unicorn, and of course, they rarely ever eat them, causes of indigestion and whatnot.


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter, I'm sure if I did I wouldn't be searching for a place to move.

Author's Note: In light of recent events, mainly the play set my cousin had bought for my children flying out of the back of her husband's truck, I have decided to make this chapter a little bit humorous. Of course, there is always my fondest hope that one day, one magical day, I'll have a story with more than forty reviews. Ah…the thought is most delightful. But until then, I shall continue writing until I hit on a plotline that seriously snags everyone's attention. By the way, this is slightly AU and yes, Dumbledore is still alive in this fiction, I probably should have mentioned that earlier in the story huh?

And, to all of my reviewers, thank you for your compliments, they are what keep me from giving up writing altogether. :frowns: Although, to anyone hopeful that I'll give up, don't get too high of hopes, it's kind of hard to bring me down. Also, if it's rather obvious, I am most definitely not British, even though I was friends with a guy while in Germany…they have delightful accents, very sexy indeed.

Chapter Four

Torture is tedious work, what with all of that screaming and writhing. True, Voldemort did enjoy watching the occasional torture session but there were times that he found it somewhat tiresome. There was all that cleaning up afterwards, and of course, then you had to make sure that any blood spray didn't get onto one's robes or, even more disturbing, on one's skin. Not to mention you needed to check all of the walls and it was quite annoying to get out of the curtains. He had debated moving the torture sessions outside of the house but, there was the annoyance of someone actually seeing and then everyone and their mother would know where he was located. Honestly, that took up too much of his time and all of those Obliviates got hard to keep track of. No, he was content to keep it inside of the house and he had cut down on the amount of bloody torture sessions.

If one wanted to be honest with oneself, they would have thought that he, the Dark Lord, had gone soft. Not that any of his followers would ever admit that out loud, there was always the chance that he would Crucio them until they couldn't scream anymore and their throats were bleeding. In point of fact, Voldemort was considering taking up a hobby, something along the lines of needle work (1) or perhaps even raising rabbits (2). He would also never admit this out loud because those things were just not what people expected of a tyrannical killer. So, instead, he focused on other things that were more in the style of evil villains. There were, of course, the odd games that he came up with based off of his life in the Muggle orphanage. Dodge ball being one that his followers truly despised because of his penchant to use a bowling ball and strong levitation charms to make it fly through the air better. He always got a chuckle out of that one, especially his version of ten pin that used random muggles as the pins and, instead of using a ball, he kept a rather odd creature that would roll itself up, like an armadillo, and propel its spiky body towards them at high speeds. The unfortunate side effect of this game was the amount of blood that got into everything.

It was because of the blood clean up that he was even bored today. Well, that and the lack of progress in killing his arch nemesis. He had tried all sorts of plans and schemes and not a single one had worked the way that it was supposed to. First example being during that blasted tournament. He had him, at the tip of his wand and what happened? The damn boy got away from him with a dead body in his arms. The following year was the Department of Mysteries and that was an utter flop because, one, he didn't get the prophecy or the boy and, two, that crazy old coot showed up and saved the day, la de da. In the boy's sixth year well…he didn't even want to touch that, the miserable failure that it was.

Voldemort sighed, his head hurt just to think about that brat and that old man who protected him. The next time he got the chance to, he would succeed in ending the headmaster's life.

Dumbledore's office was, for the lack of a better word, unique and that uniqueness extended even further into the wizard's attire. Of course, there was also the part where he always used some sort of candy as the password to his office. But the most interesting feature in his office was the phoenix sleeping on his perch, fiery feathers glowing in the late afternoon sun. The old man in question was sitting behind his desk, his blue eyes twinkling madly at the young wizard who had ventured into his office to speak with him.

"So tell me Harry, what brings you to my office?"

Green eyes flicked upwards, giving the older man a brief glance before returning to their original perusal of the gaudy carpet beneath Harry's feet. "I've been having visions again sir."

Grey eyebrows lifted and the twinkle dimmed slightly in his eyes. "About Tom again?"

Harry shook his head, shaggy locks falling into his eyes before being brushed away by slender fingers. "No sir, I…" He sighed, his shoulders slumping tiredly. "I actually find myself wishing for visions about him these days."

"You don't say?" Dumbledore leaned forward, his elbows resting on his desk. "Well, why don't you tell me what you've been having visions of?"

"Hermione gave me a book about these creatures called Drat sir…a bloody weird name for a creature but she said that it was probably an accident that the guy named them Drat." Harry chuckled softly. "I feel like I've messed something up every time I say their name."

"Drats you say?"

"Yes sir, they've been hunting me every night when I sleep. I think they're trying to find me for some reason."

Grabbing some Sherbet Lemons from the bowl on his desk, Dumbledore gestured for the boy to continue.

"Last night was the worst because I know the place where they were hunting sir…" Harry trailed off, his speech interrupted by the fireplace flaring up and turning green as Hagrid's head appeared in the flames.

"Professor Dumbledore sir, I got a bunch o' centaurs on my property demanding to speak with you. They say that som'thin killed one o' their children."

"Oh my…" Dumbledore whipped his gaze back towards Harry as he got out of his seat. "Come with me Harry, I think you're going to be needed for this one."

"Yes sir." Taking off after the Headmaster, Harry let his mind go back to the last few minutes of the dream he'd had the night before.

_Faint beams of moonlight lit up a half destroyed clearing where a young centaur stood, his shoulders drooped in exhaustion and his sides heaving in an effort to breathe properly. He had been running so hard and so long and found himself right back where he had originally started from. Those things chasing him had, first lured him off with images of something wonderful just beyond where his herd had camped for the night, then they had surrounded him, jumping out in front of him every time he tried to turn back and reach his family. He was scared, being one of only three children in the herd, he had never been alone for so long, nor had he been threatened by any of the other creatures in the forest. This was not normal in his life and he knew, even if his parents got within range to hear his cries, that they would not make it in time to save his life. He also feared that they wouldn't survive even if they tried to help him. A soft noise in front of him made him lift his head, his chestnut ears flicking forward to pinpoint exactly where the sound came from. His tired muscles tensed, heart hoping that he would escape even as his logical mind had already resigned itself to the fact that he was going to die. Large blue eyes widened and a shrill cry of fear escaped from his lips as his hooves scrambled to take him away from the Garnet scaled form leaping in for the kill, a victorious snarl twisting its features. _

**Reference 1 Needlework for Voldemort would be something along the lines of Horrible scenes of death stitched into clothing or cloth screens. **

**Reference 2 Think Monty Python and the Holy Grail when you think of Voldemort raising Rabbits, as if he'd go for the cute and cuddly side of things. **


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter but I do own the Drats, lovely creatures that they are.

Author's Notes: I have been informed that my chapters are rather short and…I totally agree. Unfortunately, I can only get so much writing in per chapter because I have a two year old and a seven month old, also the reason it takes me so long to get things out. And now, finally, after much waiting, and hopefully anticipation, here is the next chapter!

Chapter Five

Death was never a pretty thing and no matter how many times he had been graced by its dark presence, Severus never got over the feeling of extreme nausea that rose from his stomach, burning his throat with acidic bile. He had tried reasoning to himself that in this instance it wouldn't be so bad because a centaur wasn't a person, not completely. Of course, he also figured that the young creature couldn't have had anymore gruesome a death than the Dark Lord normally inflicted upon his captives. His stomach, however, did not agree with him and, after seeing the mess of gore and the blank eyed stare of the young centaur, promptly emptied itself the second he got some distance away from the scene f the crime. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he leaned forward on the tree he'd puked beside and listened to the loud sounds of the Potter brat emptying his stomach nearby. Why Albus had brought the boy with him, he did not understand, but he wasn't about to argue the old man's decision.

Of course, now that he thought about it, he didn't even know why he had been called out to the forest. He would have been quite content to stay in his quarters and brew the rest of the potions for the hospital wing instead of witnessing one of the most gruesome murders he'd ever had the chance to come across. Straightening to his full height and brushing his robes off, he stalked back towards the headmaster, barely acknowledging the boy following close behind him.

"I fear that we have something much worse in our forest to worry about than Tom."

Turning his dark eyes towards the headmaster, Severus frowned then looked back towards the dead body that had been found that morning. "I highly doubt that anything could be worse than the Dark Lord. Also, I don't know why you wanted me out here to look over this particular victim."

"Come now Severus, surely you could put more effort into figuring out why I dragged you out into the forest to study a recent killing?" Dumbledore smiled slightly, his eyes brightening when the younger man gave him the evilest glare he could muster.

"And what, exactly, am I supposed to figure out here?" Severus's frown deepened even more and he looked towards the only student in the clearing. "For that matter, why is Potter out here? Or should I just guess that as well, perhaps he had another 'vision' and saw how the Centaur foal was killed?"

"How very astute of you Severus, and in fifteen seconds, a record, even for you."

Closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose, the dark wizard counted, silently, backwards from ten before opening his eyes once more. "Tell me Albus, do you delight in torturing me or is this a new hobby of yours?"

The headmaster's smile grew even larger at the younger man's words. "Really Severus, you've given me too much credit."

"I doubt that very much…in fact, I wonder if I even give you the credit you deserve."

Harry, having absolutely no idea what the two men were talking about, nor wanting to interrupt them and bring Professor Snape's wrath down upon him, had decided to study the dead centaur, and the area of his death, closer. Having already witnessed the killing of the young creature had only minimally prepared him for the feeling of sightless eyes following him everywhere he went and his gut wrenched several times, violently reminding him that he could go and hide beside a tree for the rest of his time in the forest. Pushing back the feelings of nausea, he circled widely around the body, his sharp eyes scanning the ground for any signs of where the Drats might have gone. He frowned, deeply, his mind troubled at the thought of the Drats being anywhere around him or his friends. There was no doubt in his mind that they were going to leave the forest as soon as they had gathered their strength and worked out a plan of attack for the castle. It was only a matter of time before the students were escorted around by teachers wielding weapons forged from steel or dragon bones…the only things that could actually hurt the Drats since magic fed them.

He sighed tiredly, his frown disappearing as he moved a few feet closer to the edge of the clearing. All wizards seemed to rely on their magic for everything, a fixation that was drilled into the children's mind from birth. Something that he found himself very grateful for not having grown up with. He knew plenty of ways to defend himself outside of the use of magic, mind you, most of those ways required lots of running, sometimes hitting, and occasionally hiding. It was his firm belief that, if you cannot win the fight, then survive the fight, even if it means looking like a coward. Not that he was a coward in any way, shape, or form, it was just that he wasn't ready to die yet and everyone was kind of depending on him to defeat a homicidal maniac. He sighed again and straightened from the crouch he'd gone into so he could study some odd tracks on the ground. There were other things he worried about besides living and not being killed by his most rabid fan.

Take the Drats for instance…the creatures had been invading his dreams since summertime and he still had no idea what they were after except that they seemed to be targeting him for a reason he wasn't all to sure he wanted to learn. Oh sure, he did hope to find out why they were in the forest, and perhaps where they had run off to, but he didn't want to find out on the terms of his dying. Besides, he didn't really think that Voldemort would appreciate having his shining moment stolen by some animals that would gladly tear him to shreds afterwards. Harry smiled at that thought and idly brushed his hair back from his eyes. Oh yes, that would be a momentous occasion…perhaps he could convince the headmaster to let him set a trap for Voldemort out here in the forest. That would certainly make his day…year…life…ah whatever, he'd be thrilled, ecstatic, just freaking peachy.

A flash of light to the left of him caught his eye and he moved forward to investigate, all thoughts of Voldemort shoved to the recesses of his mind for later analysis. Crouching down, he pushed aside a pile of debris with his fingers then grinned when he saw what he'd uncovered. "Professor, I think I found something!"

"Mr Potter, while I'm sure you think you're the most important thing out here, there is no reason for you to interrupt my convorsation with the Headmaster." Snape glared at the teenager as he made his way to where the boy was standing, only to stare in shock at what the boy had found. "Oh..."


	7. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Finally, at long last, an update!!!

To all my reviewers, thank you for your praise on this story and I'm sorry I haven't gotten to it sooner. Sometimes Life just steps in the way!!

Chapter Six

**Headmaster's Office**

For the first time in years, Severus Snape was uncomfortable in front of the headmaster and a student. The thought of having to explain anything about a family secret that had been buried for years…it boggled the mind and left a bitter taste in his mouth. However, he wasn't a master spy for nothing and he was quite capable of hiding that discomfort behind a well worn sneer he'd perfected in his early twenties.

Dumbledore, confound him, wasn't even remotely fooled by the sneer and his eyes twinkled so cheerfully it hurt. Snape never understood why the old man twinkled during dire situations but, as with all things, he knew that eventually it would be explained. He cleared his throat and paced angrily in a line that went no further than ten feet apart at either point. An effort in self control, shame really, he'd much rather have been packing his bags and escaping while it was still possible.

"Excuse me Professor Snape but…would you mind explaining what this is?"

Ah yes, and he couldn't forget about the ever curious Potter brat. "It's a part of my family crest, hundreds of years old though you probably wouldn't know it being the dimwitted buffoon you are."

Harry's eyes narrowed behind his glasses. "And what gives you the right to call me a dimwit sir? Perhaps you should be insulting yourself for not believing me about my newest round of visions."

"Why should I believe the visions of a spoiled little boy who wants everyone to pay attention to him and no one else?" Onyx eyes flashing, Snape spun around and flung his cloak back with a violent gesture. "You're talking about creatures that shouldn't exist by any right and yet, here they are, within Hogwarts grounds if you'd consider the forest as part of such things."

"And you think I brought them here? Is that what this is about?"

"Think Potter, for once in your life I want you to put your neglected brain to work and tell me why you believe these creatures are here now!?" Snape resisted the urge to strangle the teen when those emerald eyes rolled upwards. "They see into your soul, eat your magic, and eat you. There's at least one who can dodge the unforgivable curses and pray tell me…did you forget, as I'm sure Ms Granger made you study up on them. They're telepathic."

"I didn't forget Professor Snape!" Harry sat down on a chair and dug his fingers into the unruly locks of his black mane. "How can I forget when they keep popping in my head more often than Voldemort himself?"

"Severus, perhaps it would be best if you were to go over the journals left by Drat's creator with Harry. Maybe the two of you can find something that even Ms Granger might have missed." Dumbledore took a seat behind his desk and stroked Fawkes beneath his beak. "There is something drawing them here and they are a danger to all the students if not taken care of."

"Right, shall I have Hagrid break out his crossbow, maybe have the purebloods gather up their swords to fight against something that they couldn't comprehend?"

"Why not? Better to have them prepared, though perhaps with the swords charmed not to cause harm unless threatened by an outside source. Wouldn't want any of the students to be hurt unnecessarily."

Snape sighed, he had been sarcastic and now he was going to regret that momentary slip of the tongue. "Very well. Potter!"

Harry jumped up, eyes wide, and stared at his professor. "Yes sir?"

"Be down in my dungeons in thirty minutes. I expect you will not be late."

"Yes sir…no sir…I'll be there sir"

"Very good. Now I want whatever Ms Ganger found on the Drats to be in my possession as soon as you arrive."

Nodding quickly, Harry shot out of the office to find his friends before they got it in their heads to look for him.

**Forbidden Forest **

Grawp liked shiny things, he often collected them to hang around his little clearing. But these shiny things, milling around his legs in endless motion, he wasn't so sure what to do about them. They were not-food even though he was sure he could eat them. And the big shiny kept eyeing him like he was in charge of something. It hurt his mind trying to figure it all out. So he sat and let them curl against his body for heat. 'Yes' he thought to himself 'shiny things are very nice.'

**On to Voldemort**

"**My Lord…" Lucius Malfoy trailed off from what he'd been about to say. His white blonde hair brushed his shoulder as his head cocked to one side in contemplation and his mouth open and closed several times before words started again. "My lord, I don't think that our reports on the status of Hogwarts are complete…" He trailed off again. "Sir…" **

**Voldemort looked up from his task and lifted a non-existent eyebrow. "What is it Malfoy?" **

"**There's something strange going on at Hogwarts. I've lost one of our spies just this past week and…" Lucius frowned to keep from noticing that the Dark Lord had started up with his task once more. "I was wondering if perhaps we should send a senior member to investigate and find out what might have happened to our spy?" **

"**No Malfoy, one spy being lost is hardly an issue and as you know, Severus is still on the castle grounds. We are well informed on anything of importance that happens there." Nodding to himself, Voldemort resumed his count. 'Knit one, pearl two, knit one, pearl two…" **

**The blonde cleared his throat. **

"**What Malfoy?" **

"**My lord, I don't think you're supposed to actually knit the clothing onto your subject…and Nagini doesn't seem pleased with your efforts." **

**Voldemort sighed. "Lucius, I'd recommend you leave this room before I decide that you'll make a better source of amusement. Maybe a little flaying of your skin?" **

**Lucius Malfoy managed not to run until after the door was closed, well aware that Malfoys were never undignified under watchful eyes. **

**Back in his chambers, Voldemort sighed again and eyed the long red strands of yarn wrapped around his snake's body. "Figures that a Malfoy would be prissy enough to insult my attempts at self amusement." **

* * *

Alright, to those who have already read this chapter, this is a little added on, and some editing when i realized i left out several words


End file.
